ANAHEIM – Robert Rosen, 84, was suspected of no crime when he crossed paths with a police dog. He says that meeting nearly cost him an arm.

Police had arrived at Rosen's home in Orange on May 31, 2011, looking for two fugitive burglars, and asked if they could search his backyard. Rosen furnished a key to the gate.

Minutes later, Rosen looked into his backyard and saw no officers. He then walked outside and toward the gate.

"Suddenly and without warning," according to Rosen's lawsuit, a dog ran into the yard and attacked him. It was Cisko, a German shepherd from the Anaheim Police Department's K-9 unit.

Anaheim police were participating in the search as part of a multi-agency effort including Orange and Garden Grove police. Rosen accuses all three of failing to "take reasonable precautions to prevent injury."

The outcome of a San Jose public-records battle this week may stand as a victory for government watchdogs across the state and a warning for government officials seeking to veil their activities.

In short, Judge James P. Kleinberg ruled that private devices used to conduct government business can be subject to public disclosure laws. This includes text messages from private phones, emails from private accounts and other electronic communications.

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